ClipClopNYC '14 is officially on hold

[LauraKY]

[QUOTE=trubandloki;7180474]
That is what I did not understand about that post too.

It sounds like Ridge wanted someone to beg and whomever begged the most got the attention.

I would think Ridge would have an opinion on the topic and their support would go in that direction, not to whomever begged the most.[/QUOTE]

You know, I swore that I wouldn’t jump into the fray again, other than to offer some publicity advice, but here I go.

Eva needs to make people want to help her by asking for help, networking, apologizing, whatever is necessary. Who cares who wins the war of words on a forum as long as you manage to stay in business?

First rule of customer service when someone is ticked off? Say, “I’m sorry.” It doesn’t have to be your fault. But say, “I’m sorry.”

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=Angela Freda;7180446]
But they will when/if either candidate decides to act on those promises when anointed.
Since it is known what these candidates have said they will do, you know what the future may hold… so get the positive message out there so when the Mayor gets out there with their intention to take the industry away… they are met with people who have heard the Carriage drivers side. Clearly. Loudly. Often.[/QUOTE]

Except that is what the ones opposing them are doing and have the money and influence to do so 1000 times more.
Just read what some have posted right here, where we know better and I guess expected to get by with it.:eek:

Who is going to listen to those that have already been demonized so thoroughly in the media and any other place the gullible public gets their information?

Some times, it is not good to stand out there to be even more of a target, when your enemies are already running over you in that path.

I would look for other paths not trodden.

[Tha_Ridge]

@pluvinel;7180465

Ridge…why do you need anyone "reaching out to you? Why not just take the moral high ground, deploy the resources you have at your disposal and take actions in support of the NYC horses?

I’m doing just that. Just not by way of Eva, who has (erroneously) told me that NYC constituents are useless to their cause.

That is the last that I’ll say on this thread.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;7180525]
I’m doing just that. Just not by way of Eva, who has (erroneously) told me that NYC constituents are useless to their cause.

That is the last that I’ll say on this thread.[/QUOTE]

Still making veiled threats, now seemingly saying you are going behind her back because you have a bone to pick with her?:no:

That is not the kind of help the NYC carriage horses need, someone seemingly going to try to divide them.

[Tha_Ridge]

[QUOTE=Bluey;7180535]
Still making veiled threats, now seemingly saying you are going behind her back because you have a bone to pick with her?:no:

That is not the kind of help the NYC carriage horses need, someone seemingly going to try to divide them.:([/QUOTE]

Oh, come on, a veiled threat? Get over yourself. Someone else from Eva’s organization (which I am happy to help) reached out to me.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;7180543]
Oh, come on, a veiled threat? Get over yourself. Someone else from Eva’s organization (which I am happy to help) reached out to me.[/QUOTE]

That you just posted that is very telling.
There is always one in every organization.:no:

I will repeat, in general, always be careful when there are controversies and there is help offered.

May be what is needed, may be one more nail in that coffin.

[Angela_Freda]

[QUOTE=Bluey;7180510]
Except that is what the ones opposing them are doing and have the money and influence to do so 1000 times more.
Just read what some have posted right here, where we know better and I guess expected to get by with it.:eek:

Who is going to listen to those that have already been demonized so thoroughly in the media and any other place the gullible public gets their information?

Some times, it is not good to stand out there to be even more of a target, when your enemies are already running over you in that path.

I would look for other paths not trodden.[/QUOTE]

Assuming that anyone on the street has heard the histrionic blather of ‘the other side’ is not a safe thing to do.
I live near NYC, my only TV news sources are out of NYC [save for one pathetic ‘local’ source], I watch about 2.5 hours of news a day [or more] and my only exposure to this Carriage Horse issue has been on COTH.

[pluvinel]

[QUOTE=LauraKY;7180498]
…
Eva needs to make people want to help her by asking for help, networking, apologizing, whatever is necessary. Who cares who wins the war of words on a forum as long as you manage to stay in business?

First rule of customer service when someone is ticked off? Say, “I’m sorry.” It doesn’t have to be your fault. But say, “I’m sorry.”[/QUOTE]

As they said in some famous book, “If someone slaps you on the cheek, turn the other cheek”…that is the moral high ground…rise above the fray.

The NYC horses are not “customers”…they are a symbolic representation of an attack on the use of horses by everyone and anyone.

If you support the use of horses to be used for for any purpose other than being lawn ornaments or manure factories, perhaps the moral high ground is to step up to the folks in NYC and help out in whatever manner you have available with whatever resources are at your disposal.

[HunterJumper_3]

Hmmm…

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=pluvinel;7180577]
As they said in some famous book, “If someone slaps you on the cheek, turn the other cheek”…that is the moral high ground…rise above the fray.

The NYC horses are not “customers”…they are a symbolic representation of an attack on the use of horses by everyone and anyone.

If you support the use of horses to be used for for any purpose other than being lawn ornaments or manure factories, perhaps the moral high ground is to step up to the folks in NYC and help out in whatever manner you have available with whatever resources are at your disposal.[/QUOTE]

Or at least quit picking on them because of real or imaginary slights or disagreements.

Back off and let them fight their fight, don’t make it more difficult and so help those that will next come after what YOU do with your horses, if they are not already doing so.

[michaleenflynn]

[QUOTE=Tha Ridge;7180450]
Yes. But Eva doesn’t see it like this. So I’m done and moving my support to other channels who have reached out to me via PM. Because apparently, as an NYC voter and tax-payer, I’m useless to the carriage industry.[/QUOTE]

What? LOL

Never said anyone is “useless”; what I said is this: “Right now, voters in this city have little to do with our up and coming situation.”

Which is true, as there are no elections anywhere in the near future where NYC voters can help us.

Thank you for your support in advance – sorry you needed a good cop/bad cop scenario to offer help, but hey, whatever floats your boat, I am more than willing to be the fall guy for the cause

[HungarianHippo]

One suggestion that I haven’t seen thus far (apologies if this is a dupe):
a brief robocall campaign, timed carefully so that it coincides with some actual decision, council vote, license renewal deadline, etc.

While everyone rolls their eyes at robocalls, they are actually proven to be reasonably effective. Especially when you’re not asking for money, or selling a product-- you are just raising awareness. They’re fairly inexpensive–you could reach a hundred thou people for less than $3k or so. You only pay for “successful” calls-- the immediate hangups don’t cost you anything.

Target a few possible patrons, and make a request to help fund the robocall project. The operators themselves should put some skin in the game, maybe contribute $50 each or something. And you could crowd-source for the funding. Universally, donors like to contribute to something specific that they believe could make difference.

I mean, the script just about writes itself. I don’t live in NYC now, but grew up there and I believe people are tired of real estate developers forcing the little guy out of neighborhood after neighborhood, so the richy-rich can build yet another multi-million dollar condo for themselves. They’re buying the NYC out from under the working class people who built it. You can point to the absurdity of these extremist PETA-ites coming into OUR TOWN to tell us what to do. End with something like “Take a stand with us and call (212) xxx-xxxx and tell the Mayor that you don’t want the carriages banned. That’s 212 xxx xxxx. Call NOW and stand up for the Real New Yorkers.” Or direct them to an online petition on your FB page–might include something like “Like us on Facebook and be eligible to win one of 5 free carriage rides we’re giving away every month!!!”

Keep the call BRIEF!!! (unlike my post here LOL).

Anyway, hope this is useful food for thought. I don’t agree with everything the pro-carriage folks are doing (and I’m one of those who have been angrily dismissed as a RARA for daring to disagree on some points). But I hope the ban is not successful, I dont disagree at all with the concept of working horses, and I think 99% of the carriage horses in this particular market seem well cared for.

[michaleenflynn]

[QUOTE=HungarianHippo;7180704]
One suggestion that I haven’t seen thus far (apologies if this is a dupe):
a brief robocall campaign, timed carefully so that it coincides with some actual decision, council vote, license renewal deadline, etc.

While everyone rolls their eyes at robocalls, they are actually proven to be reasonably effective. Especially when you’re not asking for money, or selling a product-- you are just raising awareness. They’re fairly inexpensive–you could reach a hundred thou people for less than $3k or so. You only pay for “successful” calls-- the immediate hangups don’t cost you anything.

Target a few possible patrons, and make a request to help fund the robocall project. The operators themselves should put some skin in the game, maybe contribute $50 each or something. And you could crowd-source for the funding. Universally, donors like to contribute to something specific that they believe could make difference.

I mean, the script just about writes itself. I don’t live in NYC now, but grew up there and I believe people are tired of real estate developers forcing the little guy out of neighborhood after neighborhood, so the richy-rich can build yet another multi-million dollar condo for themselves. They’re buying the NYC out from under the working class people who built it. You can point to the absurdity of these extremist PETA-ites coming into OUR TOWN to tell us what to do. End with something like “Take a stand with us and call (212) xxx-xxxx and tell the Mayor that you don’t want the carriages banned. That’s 212 xxx xxxx. Call NOW and stand up for the Real New Yorkers.” Or direct them to an online petition on your FB page–might include something like “Like us on Facebook and be eligible to win one of 5 free carriage rides we’re giving away every month!!!”

Keep the call BRIEF!!! (unlike my post here LOL).

Anyway, hope this is useful food for thought. I don’t agree with everything the pro-carriage folks are doing (and I’m one of those who have been angrily dismissed as a RARA for daring to disagree on some points). But I hope the ban is not successful, I dont disagree at all with the concept of working horses, and I think 99% of the carriage horses in this particular market seem well cared for.[/QUOTE]

This is a very interesting suggestion, never thought of it or heard it before, it is something I think we could definitely get our arms around in January in conjunction with our other plans.

The downside is, our opponents could outspend us in the same campaign 100X over (not an exaggeration)…and they read this page, as I have said…

But I like it Since I am confident that we have many, many supporters right here in NYC, I think people would be amenable, and the other points don’t hurt.

Thank you for the brainstorming on our behalf, for taking the time to post, and for your well-wishing.

[michaleenflynn]

I promised earlier in the thread to find some of the tri-folds and postcards I have made over the years to hand out to passengers and passerby…most of the files are on my old dead desk top, but I did find this one…I had them made by the thousand from Vistaprint, they have a brief but comprehensive FAQ about our horses on the back:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=96613446151&set=a.96611291151.98308.568416151&type=3&theater

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=michaleenflynn;7182196]
I promised earlier in the thread to find some of the tri-folds and postcards I have made over the years to hand out to passengers and passerby…most of the files are on my old dead desk top, but I did find this one…I had them made by the thousand from Vistaprint, they have a brief but comprehensive FAQ about our horses on the back:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=96613446151&set=a.96611291151.98308.568416151&type=3&theater[/QUOTE]

Very nice, appealing pictures.

When I had my own riding school half a century ago, I put fliers in all grocery stores, restaurants, hotels and any such place that would let me do so.
Some of those places would sell tickets for me for one lessons/trail ride.
They would buy a packet from me at a big discount and sell them at a little discount from regular fees and so they made some money and I got more traffic for our school.

I did that when I first opened and it was immensely successful.
We had our 30 school horses in continuous work, had to give them extra time off more than we used to do in the regular riding center, we had so many clients.
I had to taper that off to keep up with the demand.

I expect you have already tried that?

[betonbill]

Those are great, would definitely use them.

[Amwrider]

I thought I would post some really good videos of the NYC carriage horses.

Video of Finbar, who worked for 11 years in NYC, spent time on the farm and trail riding on his vacations and had been retired for 9 years at the time the video was posted
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeCcPm6fVjo

Video of a carriage driver trying out a couple of horses in Lancaster, PA and then going for a test drive in the city…keep in mind, even if this horse were only in the city for a week on trial, he would still have to be licensed and hoof branded and the brand would remain when sent back to the Amish if he did not work out (and he would ‘disappear’ from the records)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeCcPm6fVjo

Video of people easily moving the carriages around, video of the interior of the stables. Box stalls, automatic waterers, manure management/removal, etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIHI4smIjEw

More video of the interior of the stables along with fire sprinklers and ventilation shafts and the ramp.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXPiZYl3a_o

Video of the ASPCA sending the carriages in at high temperatures and drivers complying.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylRDcnMAO6g

Video of horses on their vacation farm, including Finbar who is retired.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDoQDEw3-4Q

Demo of harness and ID tags
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBWdvBLKKvc

Showing time clock, another harness, hoofs with pads
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTIMoYe7DJ8

Anti’s protesting and harassing customers and drivers at Christmas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NrlGi1T6tE

[Amwrider]

Here is video of WAR which was co-founded by Camille Hankins (a convicted animal hoarder/abuser - over 80 counts) chanting at the carriage stand. Note that they mention the horses as slaves in one of their chants.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-0k79lU118

harassing more customers claiming “heat of the day” yet their own video shows it is not even 11 am in the morning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHzjn9Y9HHs

I was trying to find the video with the protesters that made up anti-carriage Christmas carols but can’t find it right now. It was pretty disgustingly pathetic and scary at the same time. Looking for it.